Helm to the Lee
by Novi T. Foxtrot
Summary: While manning the tip line on an unusually warm March weekend, the NCIS Major Crime Response Team is called in to investigate when the body of a Lieutenant JG is found floating in the Potomac. A casefic set mid-Season 5 between Tribes and Stakeout.
1. Prologue

A/N: Set during the 2008 writers strike, i.e., between episodes Tribes and Stakeout during mid-season 5, because something had to have happened in those three months. The NCIS characters are not mine, but any mistakes are. Hope you enjoy.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Prologue  
5:15 am  
Friday, March 14, 2008  
State College, PA**

Slowly the ringing of the alarm clock pulled Julia Kelso out of her alcohol induced slumber. Groggily she reached for the offensive device on her nightstand, not surprised when she missed it the first time. Her second attempt left her relieved at the quietness that enveloped her room; she picked up the clock and stared at the neon numbers trying to bring them into focus. She was pretty sure the first number was a five. Wait, that couldn't be right, why would she set her alarm for five-something on a Saturday morning?

She looked around the dimly lit dorm room. Although the room was slightly spinning she made out her friend Sarah lying passed out on her futon. Her heavy eyelids fell back closed; slowly she tried to remember the night before. The burrito cart they had stopped at on their way home. Leaving the club as the neon green lights illuminated the street. Inside there had been dancing, the loud music, and the sound of laughter rising above it all. The feeling of warm bodies pressed against hers. Sarah handing her a drink; it was green, fruity and strong. What was that her seventh? Crap, she had at least seven drinks last night. She groaned. No wonder she felt like crap.

A freshman with a fake-id was a dangerous thing, but really she hadn't intended to go out drinking last night. That's right, 'cause she had to get up this morning. She had somewhere to be. Rubbing her temple the conversation came back to her.

"_Come on Jules, come out with us."_

"_I can't. I've got to get up early in the morning."_

"_But Jules," Sarah whined. "I don't know if you realize it, but its Thursday night, no Friday classes! Technically spring break has begun. You should be out partying. You deserve a night of fun."_

"_As if we didn't spend last weekend partying even though this week was chocked full of midterms." Jules said sarcastically. _

_Ignoring Jules last comment, she switch tactics. "Why'd you have to schedule your flight so early in the morning?"_

"_Like I had a choice?" The local airport had two daily flights to Dulles, one first thing in the morning and one late at night and she really didn't feel like driving the 150 miles to the airport in Pittsburg or 200 miles to Philly. After all, she could drive directly to Dulles in roughly the same amount of time._

"_Still why can't you come out tonight?"_

_Jules didn't answer, but she cocked her head sideways and watched her friend._

"_Julia, come out with us. Please. We're going to Envy, you'll have fun." Envy was a club they had frequented a couple times. It was only about fifteen minutes from their dorm at Penn State._

_When Julia wouldn't budge, Sarah pulled out the big guns. "I double dare you!" Sarah declared, she sure knew how to manipulate her best friend. She knew Julia was never one to back down from a dare. _

_At first Julia just glared at her, until her lips turned upwards into a slight grin. _

"_Just stay up all night and party with us. You can sleep on your flight to DC."_

"_Fine, I'll come. Just let me finish packing first."_

She sat straight up in bed at the realization. She had to catch a flight. Finally motivated to get out of bed she threw her feet over the side of the bed, standing. She took a second to get her balance, before heading to the bathroom. She really needed to brush her teeth.

Twenty minutes later she grabbed her coat from where it had been haphazardly thrown the night before, pulling her suitcase behind her she locked the door to her room and headed towards the airport.


	2. Chapter 1

**10:38am  
Saturday, March 15, 2008  
Potomac River**

"There's nothing better than a heartbeat over mind, so shout it from the rooftop," Twenty-four year old Allison Silvestre sang as she steered an equivalent of the Club 420, a 13 foot dingy up the Potomac River. A wide smile on her face, the wind caught her blonde ponytail as she ducked under the boom passing over head. If you could see her green eyes under her sunglasses, they would have shown. There were few things she loved more in life than sailing.

Next to her Kate simultaneously ducked under the boom, singing along "here I go, beating on the backdoor of your soul" releasing the jib sheet so the bow could pass through the wind in their effort to tack to port. Allison didn't have to say anything as she worked in tandem with her best friend. With her Hispanic coloring Allison's crewmate and best friend Kate Rodriguez was complete opposite in appearance, but the two girls were alike in every other area that count, including their taste in cheesy 70's music.

Allison with her type-A personality had become the de-facto skipper over their seven years of sailing together, plus she had been sailing since before she could walk. What else would you expect of the heiress to the Silvestre Sailing Empire? Her best friend Kate, had never been in a sail boat before being assigned as Allison's roommate freshman year of college. It hadn't taken a whole lot to convince Kate to walk onto the sailing team, just one windy exciting day on the Potomac. Seven years later it was arguable who the more skilled sailor was.

"Walking on a tightrope don't you know," Allison sang out as she switched hands on the tiller extension. In one smooth move, she turned the rudder as together they rocked the boat, preparing for their next turn.

In a fluid motion, Kate trimmed with her forward hand, then reached around by her aft hip and found the turning block, pulling the slack out of the jib sheet. As the boom once again passed over their heads the wind caught the sail and pulled the boat away from shore and back into the middle of the river.

"Takes you higher, Takes you higher." The two friends shouted breaking into the rest of the chorus of Sasha's "Rooftop" as they skimmed along the water under the bright blue cloudless sky. They had lost count of how many roll tacks they had done since passing under the Key Bridge, but on a good sailing day no one really kept count anyway, both just naturally responding to the wind. Anyways, a sailor never complained when the wind was good.

On this Saturday they were just out for a lazy sail. Well as lazy a sail as two competitive girls could manage. But it was nice just being out on the water. Since Allison had started traveling so much for her job and Kate began work on her Masters, the available time for the two of them to just hang had been limited. Yes, they got together for drinks or dinner at least twice a week, but it was different from college when they had been nearly inseparable.

When the weather report had said that it might hit seventy degrees on this mid-March weekend, neither had to ask if the other wanted to spend the day sailing. They were further north than they would normally sail on the Potomac, but the wind had continued to be good past the Key Bridge so they kept tacking up river, putting a show on for the pedestrians crossing the bridge above. Above them loomed Healy tower and the rest of the brick buildings that made up their alma mater.

"Hey Ally, keep your eye on that skull, they like to turn around about here." Kate said gesturing to their port side. The river was getting narrower now that they had passed the Hen and Chicks rock cropping. Since they were on a port tack, they would have to give way to the boat on their starboard side.

Just like Kate predicted the skull began turning into the middle of the river and they wouldn't be able to tack fully to starboard without running the damn rower over. Kate eased the tension on the jib trying to slow them down, Allison pushed the main and the boat turned leeward.

Thinking they were clear of the skuller Kate put tension on the jib, anticipating that Allison would trim the main, pulling it back towards center which would have turned them starboard. Rocking before she ducked under the boom, she realized her partner hadn't rocked with her and the main wasn't moving. Half way across she pushed off with her left foot trying to hike back up on the port side of the boat.

For just a moment the boat was unbalanced and as the wind caught the over tight jib sail, the boat turned further leeward before the wind pulled it over and slammed the mast down into the water with a splash. Both girls tumbling into the water with it.

Even the most practiced sailors may not be able to avoid every problem, but getting the boat back on its feet was a determining factor in a team's skill. And they were skilled.

"You okay?" Allison called out to her partner.

"Yeah, just a little wet."

"Oh, that is so totally your own fault." Allison said as she swam around to the back of the boat and climbed onto the centerboard sticking out on the water. She knew by now Kate would have found her footing, this was not the first time they had ended up in the water. "One," she called, asking if her partner was ready. "Two," Kate called back, affirming she was. As they both called "three", Allison jumped down on the centerboard as she climbed over the side, meanwhile Kate pushed the boat over, riding it as it righted with Allison's momentum.

The two girls were lying soaking wet on their stomachs, laughing. Sometimes flipping and righting the boat was just as much fun as sailing it in the first place. With the sails loose and shooting into the wind, the river current was pushing them downriver, back towards Georgetown. "You want to head back toward the marina?" Allison asked.

"Sure as long as we aren't going to the marina yet." Kate said. It was only 10:30 in the morning and they knew from experience that the breeze would probably last until one, before picking up again around dinner time.

"Hey what's that?"Kate asked, her arm extended in front of her point to something about a quarter of the way to shore.

"It looks like a garbage bag or something. Damn hikers." For a moment she thought about just diving back into the Potomac and swimming over to grab it, but she thought better. Allison pulled on the cord to start the outboard motor, "we should probably go get it."

Instinctively Kate uncleated the halyard line, effectively dropping the main sail as the motor came to life. In less than a minute they had pulled up alongside the object, Kate hanging over the port side to grab it. She pulled up, but it was heavier than she has anticipated. Instead, it only flipped over.

"Hey Kate, what is it?" Allison asked from her position in the stern. "Kate?" She asked again when Kate didn't say anything.

Putting the motor in neutral, she stood up allowing herself to see over the side of the boat, she realized why Kate hadn't responded. The two girls were staring into the hollow eyes of a dead body. A scream erupted from within her, echoing out over the picture perfect waters of the Potomac.


End file.
